Collages and crafts come together as Etsy buys Mixel

Mixel creates collages out of photos you upload to the app. You could use it to share those collages through its Instagram-like social network as well as on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks. It intended to help you more beautifully show off your artwork, which Etsy undoubtedly wants to take advantage of. Instead of using its technology, however, Etsy will keep Mixel open to the public, bringing chief executive Khoi Vinh, cofounder Scott Ostler, and two others on its mobile team. It will further shut down the social functions of Mixel, but you can still use it to create collages, and current users can still access their previously created collages.

Mobile is a big focus for Etsy in 2013, as it provides 25 percent of the site’s traffic, according to a blog post from Etsy. The company currently supports iPhone, iPad, and Android apps. Having photo-centric employees on the mobile team is an obvious win as well. With marketplaces like Etsy, people buy with their eyes. Online shopping is inherently that way. Giving sellers a more beautiful way to display their products will likely help with sales.

Etsy creative directly Randy Hunt stresses in the blog post that the company is not getting into the photo-sharing game, however.